Jobs plan for youth unemployment

SCOTTISH Labour leadership candidate Ken Macintosh has put forward plans to tackle youth unemployment aimed at preventing thousands of youngsters from being “thrown on the scrapheap”.

The MSP wants to rework an existing business rates relief scheme so that companies are given an incentive to take on young workers.

Mr Macintosh said the £131 million used to pay for the Small Business Bonus scheme could instead fund the “biggest, boldest jobs creation scheme Scotland has ever seen”.

He said: “I want to impose conditions on the payment that would encourage businesses to take on young people.”